TYA Article in the Where What When

In tomorrow's (Nov 21) issue of the Where What When their will be an article about Torah Youth. However, it had to be cut down to size. I am pasting the full version of the article below.

Please feel free to pass around!

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Learning Life, Living Torah and Loving It: Torah Youth Association

by Margie Pensak

Raising even a good, frum teenage boy can be challenging today. Let’s face it. Our sons sit in yeshiva an entire day, for more hours than many adults would find bearable. Their daily schedules are jam packed with learning, chazara, b’chinos, homework, and night seder. Providing them with healthy, wholesome outlets, so they can blow off steam after such a day, is no easy task. Especially in a world where wholesomeness is passé and all sorts of “entertainment” are competing for their attention.

As a nice, frum teenager growing up in Baltimore in the 90’s, Gobbie Cohn, the son of Jeff and Karen Cohn, often found himself without anything to do. The co-ed scene was out of the question for Gobbie, and he was not the type to look for trouble.

Gobbie’s adolescent experience is what inspired him to create Torah Youth Association (TYA), together with Moshe Starkman. Standing in support of the Orthodox day school system, and not conflicting with its academic or extracurricular schedules, its year-round supervised activities include: volunteering for local chesed organizations, motzei Shabbos activities such as tennis, weekend flag football, barbeques, paintball, a Super Bowl party, and the TYA Shabbaton at Pearlstone.

With a focus on derech eretz kadma laTorah, TYA has grown into a national gender specific program currently operating in Baltimore, Silver Spring, and Philadelphia. Baltimore’s high school boys division is the largest program, and most recently, the AISH Teens program for high school girls entered under the TYA umbrella. Separate middle school boys and girls programs are being planned for the future, as well.

“Torah Youth fills a very large void and applies to students from all of our schools,” says Gobbie.

One Friday afternoon I saw, myself, that this was true, when I watched close to 70 Baltimore high schoolers play flag football at Gwynvale Park. Members of the six teams were as excited to be playing as they were to tell me about their experiences with TYA.

T.A. 10^th grader, Binyomin Meyer, came here from Ramat Beit Shemesh, and lives in the dorm. “I like Torah Youth because it is very organized, and they know how to do what they’re doing,” said Binyomin. Fellow dormer, Yonaton Hendry, says, “I much prefer playing flag football after school on Fridays, instead of sleeping, which is what I would probably end up doing before getting ready for Shabbos.”

Binyomin Barer and Ariel Kramer, both seniors, are equally impressed with how well it is run, and are grateful that it keeps them occupied on Friday afternoons. Avi Yudkowsky and Itiel Latova said they would be at home watching TV if not for flag football. And, a brutally honest sophomore, Raphael Nakhon, admitted, “I’d rather be doing this than be home helping my mom erev Shabbos.”

Rabbi and Mrs. David Finkelstein, whose son Chaim, participates in the program, find it to be a wonderful positive environment for the boys in the community. “We are appreciative to Gobbie for all his efforts in starting this program,” says Rabbi Finkelstein, director of Camp Shoresh. Chaim is in his senior year, and has been the captain and quarterback of his football team for three years. He is as enthusiastic about TYA as his cousin, Yossi Kohen. “It’s awesome, it’s great,” says Yossi, “it’s the best program out there.”

Tali and Michelle Strum’s son, Rafi, is a senior at T.A, and has attended the football and tennis programs for years. The Strums have encouraged Gobbie to expand the organization. “The boys work hard in school, they are growing kids, and they deserve a healthy outlet for their energies,” says Mr. Strum. “TYA provides this, and there is no better person than Gobbie to relate to the kids in this fun, no pressure, kosher environment.”

Alex Porcelain, a senior at Rambam, is enjoying his fourth year with TYA. Although he likes to drop in at its barbeques and kumsitzes, his favorite activity is attending Rabbi Teichman’s Sunday evening dinner shiur which is open to all program participants who do not have night seder at that time.

“I look forward to the shiur,” says Alex. “About 20 guys attend. It is always on an interesting topic, and it doesn’t hurt that there’s food! We learn about all sorts of things that most rebbeim don’t deal with. TYA is a great additional support to do fun and interesting things outside of school, where it is more relaxed and we can still grow and learn and hang out with friends from a different school.”

Yaakov Berkowitz, a TYA volunteer, was drafted by Gobbie to be a flag football referee three years ago when he was a single bochur at Ner Israel. He feels the highlight of TYA is the Shabbaton at Pearlstone. “I was very impressed with the Shabbaton. Everyone came together with a lot of singing and ruach. It allowed the adult role models and kids, alike, to really come together and bond.”

TYA has received haskamos from notable gedolim in and outside our community, as well as local rabbanim. Rabbi Moshe Hauer, Rav of Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion, is among TYA’s supportive rabbanim. “I think it is a wonderful organization that fulfills a serious recreational need.”

“Torah Youth is gevaldik!” believes Rabbi Zvi Teichman, who has been an enthusiastic supporter of TYA since its inception. As the Rav of Congregation Ohel Moshe, the former T.A. high school menahel, and parent of sophomore Zecharya Teichman, sees its value from several vantage points.

“In this generation, kids need to have healthy fun,” feels Rabbi Teichman. “It is impossible, at their age, to expect them to learn 24/7. You can’t say things are asur (forbidden) and not offer a healthy alternative. I always felt the best thing you can do for kids, is to fill in their time with clean, healthy fun.”

As both a parent and educator, Mrs. Sherri Zaslow, T.A. Middle School coordinator, and parent of TYA graduate, Josh, couldn’t agree more. “People look to the schools to do everything for these kids. We can’t, and Gobbie Cohn stepped up to the plate…I think the concept of Torah Youth is just brilliant! It is definitely a selling point for keeping our boys in town, and not sending them away to yeshiva.”

To learn more about TYA, to volunteer, or to become a sponsor, please contact Gobbie Cohn at 443-857-4304 or gcohn@torahyouth.org.

©Margie Pensak-2007